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I'm going to make a little walk through on how I do my outdoor scrog in case anyone is interested in trying something similar for themselves sometime.
First of all, why SCROG outside at all? That's a question I was asked a few times when I came up with the plan to try it. For me, there are several reasons.
The one that led me to want to attempt it, was STEALTH. Plants are much more inconspicuous as a short bush-like plant than a 7 foot tall Christmas tree shaped plant.
I'm in the Northeast, so cool damp autumns are the norm, therefore AIRFLOW is another big plus of a scrog. Keeping them spread out and pruned properly makes for a less hospitable environment for powdery mildew and botrytis to set up shop.
Another big one is MAINTENANCE. Having them all spread out makes this easier over all. You can see what's going on and catch issues quickly. You can preventative spray easier, especially underneath. You can see and remove any dead leaves or debris that has landed on the plant... in fall, the smallest piece of debris on a bud can and most likely will turn to mold if left unattended.
As with any scrog set up, YIELD is a factor. I've seen articles that claim scrogging can double your yield, while I don't know if it's that dramatic, it definitely helps. Even if the overall weight were the same, it would still help. The buds are more evenly sized and the popcorn/larf/bottom shit... whatever you want to call it, is reduced to almost none.
So how do I do it? Well I start indoors, they're usually about two months old and a couple feet tall when they go outside. Ideally, I would have them all bent and somewhat trained by the time they go out, but I usually don't have enough room. My solution is to plant them at an angle and point the plant in the direction that I want the scrog to go. I point the most vigorous growth up, because a lot of the stuff pointing towards the ground will get pruned off.
I use an empty pot to line up where I want it and make a nice little spot for it to fit so I'm not flailing around with a big plant trying to get the angle right so it's not in the dirt. I used Xtreme mykos this year so at this time, I sprinkled it in the hole once it's ready and on the opposite side's roots once I put it down. Fill it in and water it in, I watered in with compost tea.
The branches will start growing up and it will right most leaves within a day or so. I do usually clip a few off immediately if they're really in the dirt.
I let them grow for about three weeks or so before putting the scrog on, it can be done sooner. I think what I do would be considered a hybrid of scrogging and trellising. I do spread them out and smush them down quite a bit initially... and usually break something... but I also adjust for a good while. It's not the same as inside, you don't know exactly when they'll flower... or how big they'll get... so you kind of have train it as it grows, which is more like trellising, which is just directing the plant where to grow with the use of a net or structure.
So once you're ready to add the net, map out where you want the scrogs in relation to how the plant is oriented. I use 4 foot tall coated wire fencing and the 4 foot hammer in green metal posts. Most of mine are 4x5 and 4x6.
This is where it's helpful to have someone to help. It's not impossible alone, but it's easier with help. I decide how high I want the scrog from the ground based in how the plant is looking. Last year they were all about 2.5-3 feet from the ground, this year I wanted them lower for stealth, so they're from 1-2 feet... I think the one foot one is too low though, not helpful for underside maintenance. I don't really measure out the scrog placement because I inevitably need to move due to rocks, but doing so might make your life easier If you're in a rock free area.
I start on one corner, pound in the post and attach the fencing through the hole on the corner with the metal nubs facing out, like so, but don't close it or tie it immediately.
That way, the pole will hold the net taut. The zip tie is just so it doesn't slide if the net escapes the nub, which is squeezed shut with pliers. I start up high. I usually have the hubs hold the other end while I put in the second post. I put the net down at the height it will be so I know where the post needs to go to keep it taut. Repeat for post 3 and 4, but keep net up higher after you measure, not at it's final height. Once all the posts are in, it's helpful if someone holds the plant down gently and spread how you want, while another person lowers the net on one corner at a time. Most branches are horizontal at this point. I work tops into the holes a bit.
LSD split on me 
It will stand up in like a day. 
Then I let it grow for a few days till it has enough new growth to spread it out further. If you wait too long between adjustments, you risk breaking stalks when you move them.
I usually gather the branch and leaves that I'm moving up and closed with one hand on top of the net, think claw closing on the branch and holding the leaves up so they can slide down through the net. I gather and push down with that hand and grab the stalk that I've pushed down from below with the other hand in one quick motion... they like the abuse. I usually just put it flat and let the top poke out of the furthest square it reaches, all the small growth will pop up in a day or so, then I make minor adjustments.
Once it is spread to my liking, I let it grow up to make colas, no definitive timeline here really, depends on the plant. I would say sometime in mid July for me here in the Northeast is a safe estimate.
Here's a few of last year's ladies, hoping to improve my method this year.
Amnesia Lemon (16 oz yield)
Black Cherry Punch (30 oz yield)
I'm sure I'll add to this and hopefully add more pictures so my descriptions make sense. Thanks for reading!
First of all, why SCROG outside at all? That's a question I was asked a few times when I came up with the plan to try it. For me, there are several reasons.
The one that led me to want to attempt it, was STEALTH. Plants are much more inconspicuous as a short bush-like plant than a 7 foot tall Christmas tree shaped plant.
I'm in the Northeast, so cool damp autumns are the norm, therefore AIRFLOW is another big plus of a scrog. Keeping them spread out and pruned properly makes for a less hospitable environment for powdery mildew and botrytis to set up shop.
Another big one is MAINTENANCE. Having them all spread out makes this easier over all. You can see what's going on and catch issues quickly. You can preventative spray easier, especially underneath. You can see and remove any dead leaves or debris that has landed on the plant... in fall, the smallest piece of debris on a bud can and most likely will turn to mold if left unattended.
As with any scrog set up, YIELD is a factor. I've seen articles that claim scrogging can double your yield, while I don't know if it's that dramatic, it definitely helps. Even if the overall weight were the same, it would still help. The buds are more evenly sized and the popcorn/larf/bottom shit... whatever you want to call it, is reduced to almost none.
So how do I do it? Well I start indoors, they're usually about two months old and a couple feet tall when they go outside. Ideally, I would have them all bent and somewhat trained by the time they go out, but I usually don't have enough room. My solution is to plant them at an angle and point the plant in the direction that I want the scrog to go. I point the most vigorous growth up, because a lot of the stuff pointing towards the ground will get pruned off.
I use an empty pot to line up where I want it and make a nice little spot for it to fit so I'm not flailing around with a big plant trying to get the angle right so it's not in the dirt. I used Xtreme mykos this year so at this time, I sprinkled it in the hole once it's ready and on the opposite side's roots once I put it down. Fill it in and water it in, I watered in with compost tea.
The branches will start growing up and it will right most leaves within a day or so. I do usually clip a few off immediately if they're really in the dirt.
I let them grow for about three weeks or so before putting the scrog on, it can be done sooner. I think what I do would be considered a hybrid of scrogging and trellising. I do spread them out and smush them down quite a bit initially... and usually break something... but I also adjust for a good while. It's not the same as inside, you don't know exactly when they'll flower... or how big they'll get... so you kind of have train it as it grows, which is more like trellising, which is just directing the plant where to grow with the use of a net or structure.
So once you're ready to add the net, map out where you want the scrogs in relation to how the plant is oriented. I use 4 foot tall coated wire fencing and the 4 foot hammer in green metal posts. Most of mine are 4x5 and 4x6.
This is where it's helpful to have someone to help. It's not impossible alone, but it's easier with help. I decide how high I want the scrog from the ground based in how the plant is looking. Last year they were all about 2.5-3 feet from the ground, this year I wanted them lower for stealth, so they're from 1-2 feet... I think the one foot one is too low though, not helpful for underside maintenance. I don't really measure out the scrog placement because I inevitably need to move due to rocks, but doing so might make your life easier If you're in a rock free area.
I start on one corner, pound in the post and attach the fencing through the hole on the corner with the metal nubs facing out, like so, but don't close it or tie it immediately.
That way, the pole will hold the net taut. The zip tie is just so it doesn't slide if the net escapes the nub, which is squeezed shut with pliers. I start up high. I usually have the hubs hold the other end while I put in the second post. I put the net down at the height it will be so I know where the post needs to go to keep it taut. Repeat for post 3 and 4, but keep net up higher after you measure, not at it's final height. Once all the posts are in, it's helpful if someone holds the plant down gently and spread how you want, while another person lowers the net on one corner at a time. Most branches are horizontal at this point. I work tops into the holes a bit.
LSD split on me It will stand up in like a day. Then I let it grow for a few days till it has enough new growth to spread it out further. If you wait too long between adjustments, you risk breaking stalks when you move them.I usually gather the branch and leaves that I'm moving up and closed with one hand on top of the net, think claw closing on the branch and holding the leaves up so they can slide down through the net. I gather and push down with that hand and grab the stalk that I've pushed down from below with the other hand in one quick motion... they like the abuse. I usually just put it flat and let the top poke out of the furthest square it reaches, all the small growth will pop up in a day or so, then I make minor adjustments.
Once it is spread to my liking, I let it grow up to make colas, no definitive timeline here really, depends on the plant. I would say sometime in mid July for me here in the Northeast is a safe estimate.
Here's a few of last year's ladies, hoping to improve my method this year.
Amnesia Lemon (16 oz yield)
Black Cherry Punch (30 oz yield)I'm sure I'll add to this and hopefully add more pictures so my descriptions make sense. Thanks for reading!
